By now, we know that buying counterfeit goods is far from harmless. While an inauthentic designer bag might do your wallet a lot less damage, buying one is not a socially responsible choice to make. Essentially, this is because manufacturers of the ‘real thing’ are required to stand up to strict production regulations but those making the illegal knock-offs aren’t. This means that faked product might’ve been made in a sweat shop, or using child labourers, and it certainly also means that methods of production aren’t environmentally sound. Unfortunately, counterfeit items are becoming more and more difficult to pick out; some of are almost identical to the real thing. To help you make sure you’re not inadvertently supporting questionable labour policies and ecological damage, I’ve done some research and put together a list of 7 ways to spot a fake.
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A true designer product comes wrapped up in style. You can expect to find layers of tissue paper, a branded protective fabric wrap, care instructions, product information, and, most importantly, a big, well-made box or bag. If you’re taking your pair of ‘Prada’ boots home in a plastic carrier bag, the chances are pretty good you’ve bought yourself a fake.
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Sometimes you’ll strike gold and find a beautiful designer jacket on sale at a radically reduced price, but even then you can expect to hand over a fair amount of cash. If you stumble across an upmarket item going for the price of a bag of crisps, you can be certain it’s not authentic. Exclusive brands are, by definition, expensive. If the piece you’re eying up seems too cheap to be true, stay away from it; it probably is.
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Certain designers are faked more than others. Big names like Versace, Armani, Prada, Chanel and so on generate a lot more counterfeit action than their smaller counterparts. If you’re looking to invest in a piece by one of the label giants, take extra care to ensure what you’re getting is the real thing.
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Designer items are expensive for a number of reasons, and one of these is simply that they are meticulously put together. For example, on an authentic product the stitching is consistent, regular and almost invisible. In addition, you won’t find glue marks, or irregular pieces of untrimmed fabric or leather. In short, you should expect perfection when you’re buying designer goods. If you don’t see it in the item you’re considering; put it down. Simple as that.
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To begin with, look at the way the interior label is attached to the product; if it’s glued, pinned, or crudely sewn on the item is almost definitely a fake. Also, check out the country of manufacture. Often a counterfeit product will get this wrong: for example genuine Uggs are put together in China, but copies often profess to be ‘made in New Zealand.’
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Counterfeit logos are sometimes little more than variations on the real thing. If both ‘C’s’ are facing the same way on your ‘Chanel’ handbag, for example, it’s definitely not as genuine as it could be. If you’re going shopping with a certain label in mind, take some time to familiarise yourself with the emblem before you start.
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If you’re buying your Louis Vuitton from a road-side stall, for example, you should be aware that your purchase isn’t genuine. The internet is also a tricky minefield of faked products, and it’s more difficult to tell if an online seller is dealing in the real thing since you can’t handle the item to gauge its quality. In short, if you’re getting your designer gear from anywhere other that a big, reputable shop; be extra-pernickety when it comes to checking for the tell-tale signs of fakery. A lot of people have no problem with counterfeit items; there’s a popular idea that the cost of an original is unnecessarily high, and people picking up cheap copies are simply ‘socking it to the man,’ so to speak. Unfortunately,however, this isn’t an effective method of protest since faked goods are, more often than not, produced in alarming labour conditions, according to questionable manufacturing methodologies. This concludes my list of 7 ways to spot a fake; do you have any suggestions to add to it? Top image source:travel.msn.co.nz